Upset with my algae scrubber

[hcgirl80]

I got an algae scrubber yesterday, and as soon as I got home I ran upstairs to use it. I rinsed it with tap water as it said, and I started to use it. It got the algae off of the tank walls great, but it spreaded algae particles all over my tank. What should I do? Nothing?

:rant:

~Paige

 

[SnakeIce]

if you keep the scrubber on the walls of the tank and don't swish it about as much you can lift some of the algea you get off the glass out of the tank and swish your scrubber in other water.

also if you take only a little bit of water out of the tank first( just enough to get your hand in with out overflowing the tank) and then finish the water change after you scrub the algae off you can remove some of it with the water you take out

 

[RTR]

Normally I clean glass only immediately before a water change. If I must do so in between changes, it is pretty much as SnakeIce outlined.

 

[jamzwayne]

YUP to both.

 

[ChicoRaton]

As long as it's on glass (never use them on acrylic), I like to use a razor blade, like the kind you put in a utility knife. drag back and forth, keeping the algae on one side of the blade, then carefully lift it out and wipe it on a paper towel or swish it in a bucket or whatever. best of all they're cheap. you can get a package of 5 for a couple bucks at wal-mart or the hardware store.

 

[StreetCypher]

I normally use a hard plastic card (old credit card or whatever) to scrape algae off before a water change. I find the algae scrubbers are just another gimic the LFS use to make money off of.

 

[sguthrie]

I normally use a hard plastic card (old credit card or whatever) to scrape algae off before a water change.

D*mn, that's a great idea...

I haven't scraped or removed any algae yet, but it's fairly overdue. The only algae I've removed is the algae that was covering my bogwood.

One benefit of the algae scraper is that you don't have to get your hands/arms all in your aquarium, but I don't mind that so much. Not with what they're charging these days for a scraper.

Sam

 

[ChicoRaton]

you could also get a long rod, a wooden dowel perhaps? though wood isn't the best material for the application... anyway, get the long plastic/wood/metal rod and attach the razor blade or plastic card or whatever you have on the end of it so you don't have to get your hands all in the aquarium... I like getting my hands wet though... makes me more "in touch" with my fish, hehe. just be sure to wash your hands and arms first and RINSE THROUGHLY.(sp?) soap and fishies don't mix well.